The Cary Village Board is due to give its final word on a proposed mixed-use luxury housing community Tuesday, Oct. 28, after leaving many residents concerned over a road extension that would connect a neighborhood street to Route 31.

The Village Board met Oct. 21 with an expectation that trustees would vote on the development, but officials agreed to resume the meeting next week after it lasted over five hours. However, no more public comments will be taken then, as more than 40 people spoke out at the previous meeting, which itself took up more than three hours.

The proposal, called Seasons at Cary, includes almost 5 acres of commercial space and 360 units of what’s been described as luxury rental housing with a pool house, pickleball courts and other amenities. It would be on the Damisch Farm property, east of Route 31, south of the Walmart Supercenter in Crystal Lake.

Residents from the neighboring Cambria subdivision have been pushing back against the development, specifically the northern access point that would extend New Haven Drive west to Route 31 with a full intersection. Opponents have said that it would disrupt their neighborhood with increased traffic and road maintenance and potentially reduce property values.

Cary’s Zoning, Planning and Appeals Commission gave an unanimous recommendation for the plan last month, with a stipulation that the road would be “uni-directional” and only connect to the subdivision through westbound traffic.

Tuesday’s meeting was packed with more than 130 residents, leaving standing room only. Things got heated throughout the meeting, with yelling from the crowd and Mayor Mark Kownick banging his gavel multiple times.

Fiduciary Development Vice President Tony DeRosa said he is willing to build the estimated $100 million project without the road extension to New Haven Drive, but said “the desirability and marketability is not as good without it.”

The plan includes up to 32,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. Without road connectivity or a traffic light, national retailers, like Chipotle for example, might not move into the space, DeRosa said.

“I hear what everyone’s concerns are. I don’t want to do anything that’s going to hurt anyone,” Trustee Ellen McAlpine said. “My concern is as an elected official is that the only thing that’s going to make them happy is to say, ‘We’re not going to touch New Haven at all. We’re not going to attach to it at all.’ I don’t think that’s putting us in a good situation for success.”

A traffic study estimates that almost 1,700 cars would flow through New Haven Drive at the originally proposed two-way extension per day, or 900 cars per day if the road is a westbound one-way, Community Development Director Brian Simmons said.

Despite the zoning commissioners’ attempt to find a middle ground, many residents continue to oppose the road extension. A group of community members along Cimarron Drive started an online petition at stoprt31.com. Over the months, they’ve gathered “hundreds of signatures,” sent more than 1,500 emails and put up road signs and billboard ads, according to the website.

A handful of residents arrived at Village Hall early, holding signs along Georgetown Drive protesting the road extension in the windy and rainy weather.